Standard Notes is a secure and open-source note-taking application that offers end-to-end encryption. By hosting your own Standard Notes Server, you can take full control of your data, offering increased privacy and flexibility. In this guide, we’ll show you how to install and configure Standard Notes Server on Rocky Linux 9. Using a WindowsVPS is highly recommended for this setup, as a VPS server ensures better performance, scalability, and security for your self-hosted applications.

Step 1: Update Your VPS Server

Before beginning the installation, ensure that your VPS server is up to date. Run the following commands to update your Rocky Linux 9 system:

sudo dnf update -y

Keeping your VPS server updated ensures that you have the latest security patches and stable software versions. A WindowsVPS offers the necessary reliability and performance to host your Standard Notes Server with ease.

Step 2: Install Docker and Docker Compose

Standard Notes Server is deployed using Docker, so you'll need to install Docker and Docker Compose. Begin by installing Docker:

sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo
sudo dnf install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io -y

After installing Docker, start and enable the Docker service:

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

Next, install Docker Compose:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/2.12.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Verify that Docker Compose was installed correctly:

docker-compose --version

Step 3: Clone the Standard Notes Server Repository

Standard Notes Server has a pre-configured Docker setup available via GitHub. First, navigate to the directory where you want to install the server, then clone the repository:

cd /opt
sudo git clone https://github.com/standardnotes/syncing-server-docker.git
cd syncing-server-docker

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Next, you need to configure the environment variables for your server. Standard Notes provides a sample environment file, which you can copy and modify according to your needs:

sudo cp env.example .env

Open the .env file for editing:

sudo nano .env

In this file, you can set essential values such as the API keys and database settings. At a minimum, configure the following variables:

• DATABASE_URL: Set the URL for your database, typically a PostgreSQL database connection string.
• API_KEY: Set an API key for securing your Standard Notes server.

Save the file and exit the editor when you’re finished.

Step 5: Start the Standard Notes Server

With Docker and Docker Compose set up, and the environment variables configured, you can now start the Standard Notes server. Run the following command to launch the server:

sudo docker-compose up -d

This command will pull the necessary Docker images and start the Standard Notes services in the background.

Step 6: Verify the Installation

Once the services are running, verify that everything is working by checking the status of the Docker containers:

sudo docker ps

You should see the containers for the Standard Notes server running. If everything is working correctly, you can access your Standard Notes server by navigating to http://your-server-ip in your browser.

Step 7: Configure SSL (Optional)

To secure your Standard Notes server with HTTPS, you can configure SSL using Let's Encrypt and Nginx as a reverse proxy. First, install Nginx:

sudo dnf install nginx -y

Then, set up SSL with Certbot:

sudo dnf install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

Follow the prompts to configure your SSL certificate. Once completed, your Standard Notes server will be accessible via HTTPS.

Step 8: Optimize Your VPS Server for Standard Notes

Running Standard Notes on a WindowsVPS gives you the performance and flexibility needed for managing a self-hosted note-taking application. A VPS server provides dedicated resources that ensure your server runs smoothly, even with heavy note traffic or large numbers of users.

Using a VPS also allows you to scale your infrastructure as needed, ensuring that your self-hosted Standard Notes instance can grow with your requirements.

Conclusion

Installing and configuring Standard Notes Server on Rocky Linux 9 is a great way to take full control of your note-taking and ensure your data remains private. By hosting your server on a WindowsVPS, you can benefit from enhanced performance, scalability, and security, making your self-hosted solution even more powerful.

For more information on VPS hosting and how to optimize your server setup, visit WindowsVPS.